In 1858 Joseph Hall purchased the Oshawa Manufacturing Co. (also known as the A. S. Whiting Manufacturing Co.) and renamed it to the Joseph Hall Works. Joseph Hall was apparently based in Rochester, NY, and the Oshawa operations were managed from there.

The business became the largest maker of agricultural implements in Canada, and employed as many as 300 people. Poor economic conditions and high tariffs pushed the company's sales downward by the late 1870s, and the business never recovered. They declared bankruptcy in 1887 or shortly before. The manufacturing facilities were taken over by the R. S. Williams Piano Co.

In its day, this firm was one of the few full-line Canadian makers of woodworking machinery, including planers and shingle machines.

Information Sources

• The Oshawa Museum website provided information on the company history. They do not mention the company's manufacture of woodworking machinery.
• Lovell's Canadian Dominion Directory of 1871 lists this firm as a maker of woodworking machinery. They were also listed as a maker of planing machines, shingle machines, steam engines, agricultural implements, boilers, "Cain's Patent Oscillating Gang Saw Mills", printing presses, water wheels (Leffel's water wheel as also made by Jas. Leffel and Co. of Springfield, Ohio). The above are the various category entries for this firm. The directory listing itself reads as follows:

  THE JOSEPH HALL MANUFACTURING CO., manufacturers of portable and stationary steam engines and boilers, Leffell's double Turbine water wheels, Cain's patent oscillating gang saw mills, flour and saw mill machinery of all kinds; shingle machines; Richardson's leather splitters knife grinders ; Compton looms; Gordon card and circular printing presses; Washington hand printing presses, and Taylor's cylinder presses; wood working machinery of all kinds; engine lathes, planing drilling machines; slotting machines, milling machines; shafting and job work of all kinds in iron and brass. See Adv page 11.